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Industry advocates push for eastern states to establish gas reserves as soaring energy costs put pressure on companies

Defence minister’s attendance at high-level security conference the latest in flurry of diplomatic activity by new Labor governmentAustralia’s new defence minister, Richard Marles, is preparing to travel to Singapore next week for a high-level security conference and a potential first meeting with his US counterpart.The trip is the latest in a flurry of diplomatic activity by the new Labor government. The minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, has just wound up visits to three Pacific countries and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is preparing to fly to Indonesia on Sunday. Continue reading...

People planning an overseas trip may face cancelled or delayed travel arrangements as waiting times balloon out

Listing does not mention his alleged ownership of two yachts linked to Vladimir Putin and inner circleThe European Union has imposed sanctions on a Russian oil boss who is separately alleged by the US authorities to be acting as a “straw man” owner of two yachts linked to Vladimir Putin and his inner circle.Eduard Khudainatov served as chairman and chief executive of the state-controlled oil company Rosneft before setting up his own energy business, Independent Oil and Gas Company, which has grown rapidly to become one of Russia’s top oil producers, with interests in extraction, refining and trading. Continue reading...

Charles stands in for his mother at St Paul’s Cathedral in ceremony that pays tribute to her seven-decade reignThe symbolism of a great state service of thanksgiving for an absent Queen was not lost beneath the imposing dome of St Paul’s Cathedral. All the more so as the country was paying tribute to her seven decades of public service as Britain’s now longest-reigning monarch.The Prince of Wales was in her stead for the formal procession through a 2,000-strong congregation of prime ministers past and present, parliamentarians, diplomats, a full squad of other royals and 400 members of the public honoured for their community work. Continue reading...

Amid leaks of strategy’s review, Sara Khan says focus on only one form of extremism is counterproductiveThe counter-terrorism Prevent programme, which has been dogged by claims of being a cover to spy on Muslim communities, should be “ideologically blind”, a government adviser has said.The strategy is currently the subject of a review by Sir William Shawcross, and leaks suggest it will conclude that Prevent has been too focused on rightwing extremism in recent years. Instead it will say there should be a renewed focus on Islamist extremism, the leaks show, prompting accusations that the findings are politically motivated. Continue reading...

Former world heavyweight champion arrested at Heathrow after alleged assault in west LondonThe former world heavyweight boxing champion David Haye has appeared in court charged with assault.Haye, 41, who retired from the sport in 2018, is accused of assaulting Nickesh Jhala at the Hammersmith Apollo in west London on 30 October last year. Continue reading...

Four people including ex-MP Phyo Zeya Thaw and Ko Jimmy to be put to deathMyanmar’s junta has said it will execute a former lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi’s party and a prominent democracy activist, both of whom were convicted of terrorism, in the country’s first judicial executions since 1990.Four people, including the former MP Phyo Zeya Thaw and the democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Ko Jimmy, “will be hanged according to prison procedures,” Zaw Min Tun told AFP on Friday. Continue reading...

Kate, Meghan, Carrie Johnson and Liz Truss choose ‘cartwheel’ hat, once part of Dior’s new look in 50s

Latest updates: Buckingham Palace announces monarch will miss her favourite horse race due to mobility problems

Details emerge after London-based employee incorrectly added a zero to a transactionA “fat-finger error” by a London-based trader at Citigroup which triggered a flash crash across European stock markets could cost the bank at least $50m (£39.8m).The trader was working from home last month when they incorrectly added an extra zero to a trade, Bloomberg reported, quoting “people familiar with the matter”. Continue reading...

At thanksgiving service, US-based couple were separated from the most senior royals by an aisle

PSNI investigating video of people chanting about 2011 killing of Michaela McAreaveyTwo men have apologised for their involvement in a video on social media of a group appearing to mock the murder of a Northern Irish teacher on her honeymoon.The video, filmed in a room decorated with union flags and Orange Order paintings, features people chanting about the 2011 murder in Mauritius of Michaela McAreavey, an Irish-language teacher and daughter of the Gaelic football manager Mickey Harte. Continue reading...

Neighbours say platinum jubilee celebrations have helped them come closer together during tough times“When I woke up this morning, I thought, ‘Oh my god is anyone going to come?’,” said Annie Hobart, talking about the hastily planned jubilee street party she and neighbour, Aysha Rahman, organised just three weeks ago.“We weren’t sure how it was going to happen, but it’s come together nicely,” said Rahman. The pair were thrilled to see so many faces at their party in Moseley, south Birmingham. “It’s really nice to see so many people here,” said Hobart. Continue reading...

Royal fans ‘a bit sad’ not to see monarch but relish the atmosphere outside St Paul’s thanksgiving event

Axon’s plan for stopping mass shootings condemned just hours after being announcedAxon, the company formerly known as Taser, is facing a public relations crisis after its own ethics board condemned the firm’s plans to build a stun-gun-equipped drone just hours after it was announced.The company said in a press release on Thursday that it was developing a stun-gun-equipped drone “as part of a long-term plan to stop mass shootings”. Continue reading...

Peak audience of 7.5 million people watched the BBC’s trooping the colour broadcast on Thursday

Met Office issues weather warning for thunderstorms on Saturday, with risk of floodingThunderstorms could dampen platinum jubilee festivities, with the Met Office issuing a weather warning for southern England.Forecasters are predicting heavy rain and lightning in some places and a yellow warning has been put in place from midnight until 10am on Saturday. Continue reading...

Corgi cakes, union jack bunting and trifle bowls are among platinum jubilee products to sell out in some outlets

Law firm brings group litigation aiming to recoup at least £18m on behalf of 1,500 peopleInvestors who lost millions in the collapse of a fund run by the former star stockpicker Neil Woodford have brought group litigation against the administrator in hopes of recouping at least £18m.The law firm Harcus Parker lodged its first batch of claims on behalf of 1,500 savers at the high court in London on Friday morning. Woodford himself is not the target – the claim is against the administrator of his fund, Link Fund Solutions, which is accused of failing in its duty to protect investors. Lawyers expect to expand the suit to represent at least 7,000 claimants. Continue reading...

Authorities say a number of others injured in crash near resort town of Garmisch-PartenkirchenA train has derailed in the Alps in southern Germany, leaving at least three people dead and a number of others injured, authorities said.The train heading for Munich derailed at about 12.15pm on Friday in Burgrain, near the resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, according to federal police. Some carriages apparently ended up on their side. The cause was not immediately clear. Continue reading...

Europe faces prospect of further Covid measures later in the year as share of Omicron BA.5 cases rise in Portugal and GermanyA spike of Covid-19 cases and deaths in Portugal driven by the Omicron BA.5 subvariant in spite of warm temperatures is causing capitals across Europe to once again consider measures against a pandemic that has started to fade into public memory.Portugal confirmed 26,848 new cases and recorded 47 Covid deaths on Wednesday – the highest daily death toll since 17 February, when 51 deaths from the disease were reported. Continue reading...

Collective bonding among viewers is key to the show’s success, say experts, but some fear there’s a dark side to the compulsionWith summer officially upon us, millions of people around the country are eagerly anticipating filling the long sunny evenings with one thing – hours sat in front of the television watching Love Island.A new series of the TV show starts on Monday, and with episodes airing six times a week for two months, dedicated fans can expect to rack up at least 48 hours of viewing time before the summer is out (56 hours if they also watch Sunday’s After Sun recap show). Continue reading...

Boats haven’t needed the broadcast for decades, but radio bosses know that nostalgia for it runs deepRadio 4’s shipping forecast is a national institution, with millions of listeners reassured by the thought that, somewhere out at sea, British fishers are patiently waiting by their radios to find out whether there is a gale warning in Rockall or Cromarty.Yet the announcement that Radio 4’s long wave signal will be shut down, as part of the BBC’s latest cuts, has left many wondering how the nation’s fishing fleet will cope without access to the four-times-a-day updates. Continue reading...

Prince of Wales standing in for his mother after she experienced ‘some discomfort’ during Thursday’s eventsGuests and dignitaries have taken their seats at St Paul’s Cathedral for a jubilee service of thanksgiving for the Queen, which the monarch will not attend.The Prince of Wales will step in for his 96-year-old mother after she pulled out after experiencing “some discomfort” during Thursday’s celebrations. Continue reading...

Joint-project will be released in July, says guitarist who has toured with Depp during the latter stages of high-profile defamation trialJeff Beck has announced the release date for an album he has made with Johnny Depp, the day after the conclusion of the actor’s high-profile defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard.Speaking at a concert in Gateshead on Thursday, where Depp made a guest appearance on stage, Beck said: “I met this guy five years ago and we’ve never stopped laughing since. We actually made an album. I don’t know how it happened. It will be out in July.” Continue reading...

Atlassian boss Scott Farquhar says he’d be happy to poach Musk’s employees for remote jobs at his software company, which allows staff to work from home

Public accounts committee says multibillion-pound programme has been beset by ‘litany of failures’The Ministry of Defence should fix or scrap its troubled Ajax armoured vehicle programme this year or risk compromising national security, an influential parliamentary committee has said.The Ajax programme, intended to provide a state-of-the-art reconnaissance vehicle for the army, has already been running for 12 years and cost £3.2bn but has so far failed to deliver a single deployable vehicle. Continue reading...

New government’s Fair Work Commission submission warns rising inflation is causing effective pay cuts for low-paid workersLabor has called on the Fair Work Commission to ensure low-paid workers don’t “go backwards” due to rising inflation rates, backing a minimum wage increase of at least 5.1% and shrugging off suggestions it would lead to further inflationary pressure.The employment minister, Tony Burke, said the new federal government had not limited its recommendation for wage rises to only minimum wage workers, saying Labor wanted to see “low-paid” workers more broadly – including shop assistants, cleaners and workers in the care economy – not suffer effective pay cuts due to inflation. Continue reading...

Figure of 10 Ukrainian refugees per 10,000 population is lowest but one out of 28 European countriesThe UK has taken in fewer Ukrainian refugees per capita than all but one of 28 European countries, a Guardian analysis of official figures from across the continent has found.Seven million people have fled Ukraine for other European countries since Russia invaded on 24 February, according to the United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR). Continue reading...

Hong Kong has commemorated 1989 crackdown for decades, but national security law imposed in 2020 has put a stop to annual vigilsHong Kong police have warned that people risk breaking the law if they gather on Saturday to commemorate China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown – particularly in the city’s Victoria Park, the site of a once-annual candlelit vigil.Discussion of the 1989 clampdown, when the government set troops and tanks on peaceful protesters, is all but forbidden in mainland China. Continue reading...

Three-year deal will support the newswire’s service to regional newspapers and radio bulletins throughout the stateRegional media outlets across Victoria are set to benefit from state government support for the newswire Australian Associated Press.The premier, Daniel Andrews, announced a three-year deal worth almost $2.7m to help strengthen regional newspapers and radio bulletins by supporting AAP’s complementary service. Continue reading...

How the Russian invasion has unfolded, from the desperate fight for Mariupol to economic turmoil around the worldIt was just hours until the first missiles would land. The last day of an era in Europe. On the evening of 23 February, the world braced.Over Ukraine’s border, thousands of Russian troops had received their orders. A president in Kyiv and another in Moscow prepared the most significant addresses of their lives. In western capitals, officials worked to ward off what now seemed inevitable: the end of three decades of peace between Europe’s major powers. Continue reading...

Ottawa ‘extremely concerned’ at Chinese pilots’ conduct in skies during effort to enforce UN sanctions on North KoreaCanada’s military has accused Chinese air force pilots of unprofessional and risky behaviour during recent encounters with Canadian planes in international airspace.The Canadian aircraft were deployed in Japan as part of a multinational effort to enforce UN sanctions against North Korea, which has faced international penalties over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles programme. Continue reading...

Aly and Husic, sworn in holding Qurans, say they feel the ‘weight of the moment’ after past Islamophobia and division

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereThe official Telegram channel of Ukraine’s Mariupol authority has again posted accusations of war crimes being committed by pro-Russian occupation forces since they took full control of the city after the surrender of Ukrainian troops at the Azovstal steel plant. They say:In the Mariupol district, the occupiers imprison and shoot Ukrainian volunteers and officials. All of them refused to cooperate with collaborators and the occupation authorities.The fake Donetsk People’s Republic court sentenced the head of one of the Azov villages to ten years in prison. At least one civil servant was executed by firing squad. Continue reading...

Tory peer Lord Rose criticises ‘backwards’ proposal as business department launches 12-week consultationThe government’s push to increase the use of imperial measurements in Britain has been mocked as “complete nonsense” and confusing for business.The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) announced it is pressing ahead with plans to review “overbearing EU rules” regarding weights and measurements and restore “common sense” to the statute book. Continue reading...

Monarch attended event at Windsor Castle after pulling out of Friday’s thanksgiving ceremony at St Paul’s CathedralThe Queen symbolically led the lighting of thousands of platinum jubilee beacons as it was announced she would no longer be attending the national service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral after experiencing “some discomfort” during trooping the colour.Buckingham Palace said the monarch, 96, was missing the service on Friday “with great reluctance” having experienced episodic mobility problems throughout the day on Thursday at the start of her jubilee celebrations. Continue reading...

Cyclist in her 40s suffered serious leg injuries after altercation with man who allegedly set dog on herA female cyclist has been left with potentially life-changing injuries after an altercation with a man who allegedly set his dog on her.The victim, a woman in her 40s, was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries after the incident in Lancaster on 5 May. Continue reading...

The royal couple played cameo roles as guests of honour at a street party in the BBC soap’s Albert SquarePrince Charles and Camilla have appeared in a special episode of EastEnders to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee.The royal couple’s unlikely cameo appeared to stun the residents of Albert Square when they were announced as guests of honour at a street party organised by Mick Carter, played by Danny Dyer. Continue reading...

At least seven young women believed to have been killed after responding to ads on FacebookAuthorities in Mexico have arrested a suspected serial killer accused of luring at least seven young women on Facebook with false job offers.Surveillance camera footage from two states showed the man meeting with the victims in public places, and in one case driving a victim away on a motorbike, officials said. Continue reading...

Guitarist says band was approached well before talk of Abba shows but he and surviving bandmates couldn’t agreeLed Zeppelin were approached with the idea of doing an Abba-style avatar act, guitarist Jimmy Page has disclosed.Well before there was talk of the Swedish pop group’s Voyage concert, the rock band was asked to do “that sort of thing”, Page told an audience at the Hay festival. Continue reading...

Prince of Wales takes salute on his mother’s behalf while flag-waving crowd enjoys parade and flypastFour days of festivities for the Queen’s platinum jubilee kicked off on Thursday with a display of military pageantry, large crowds and a royal reunion, as the nation marked the 70th anniversary of the longest reigning monarch in British history at trooping the colour.Seventy years after she took her first salute as sovereign, mobility issues dictated that the Queen break with tradition, allowing the Prince of Wales to take the salute on her behalf at Horse Guards Parade. He was joined by the Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal. Continue reading...

Industry bosses criticise transport secretary as unions accuse him of being disingenuousThe transport secretary is rejecting calls for an emergency visa for aviation workers to tackle the chaos at airports that has marred the half-term holiday, industry bosses have reportedly claimed.Sources in the sector speaking to the BBC accused Grant Shapps of ruling out filling shortages of ground and air staff by amending the government’s shortage occupation list. Continue reading...

Analysis: Specialist lawyers, a jury trial, social media and targeting Heard all helped Depp win in VirginiaLess than two years ago, Johnny Depp lost a UK libel case against the Sun after his ex-wife Amber Heard gave evidence to back claims in the newspaper that he was a wife-beater.The judge, Mr Justice Nicol, said the Sun had proved its article to be “substantially true” and found that 12 of 14 alleged incidents of domestic violence against Heard had occurred. Continue reading...

Prof Jean Seaton, speaking at Hay festival on future of BBC, says Grade appointment is act of bullyingThe new head of the broadcast watchdog, Michael Grade, is too old, too lazy, and has too many conflicts of interest to lead Ofcom, the BBC’s official historian has said.Prof Jean Seaton told the Hay festival that Grade’s appointment was a “way of bullying” the broadcaster. The Conservative peer, 79, was confirmed as the Ofcom chair in April after impressing MPs with his “character and gravitas” despite concerns over a “clear lack of depth” of knowledge about social media and online safety. Continue reading...

Greens and independents back calls for Mark Dreyfus to withdraw commonwealth consent to all charges in alleged Timor-Leste bugging case

Groups say the legal exemption, which also applies to sex workers, furthers harmful stereotypes and appears ‘redundant’

Scathing auditor general’s report calls for new rules around open tenders and competitive procurement

Albanese government must make key decisions on nuclear submarines and finalise settlement over cancelled French contract